Shoe treeing device



Feb. 28, 1933. D, KRivE SHOE TREEING DsvwE' Filed Sept. 24. 1951 ofwel/9.5i

Patented Feb. 2S, 1933 TTES entre r JAMES D. KRIVE, OF ST. LOUIS, MSSOUR, SSIGNOR TO NTERNATXONAL SHOE COM- PANY, F ST. LUS, MSSO'URI, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SHOE TREENG DEVCE Application filed September 24, 1931.

This invention relates to devices for treeing shoes for finishing operations; and an object or' the invention is to provide an improved treeing foot constructed so that it may be attached to a support or treeing jack and equipped with means whereby the treeing foot may be expanded or enlarged in order to stretch and smooth the shoe mounted thereon and to hold the shoe stretched and smooth during the finishing operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved treeing device for shoes comprising a sectional foot adapted to be inserted in the shoe that is to be finished, the

' said sections of the foot being separable and readily movable, so that they may be operated and spread apart while in the shoe in a manner to stretch and smooth the shoe, and hold the shoe stretched and smooth during the entire finishing operations.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved treeing foot adapted to be inserted in and to support a shoe for iinishing operations and comprising a heel portion, a pair of cooperating members located side by side and extending from the heel portion forwardly, devices tor retaining the heel portion and said cooperating members in proper cooperative relationship, and means for spreading apart said cooperating members in order to stretch and to smooth the shoe and, at the same time, force said cooperating members and said heel portion in opposite directions to obtain best effects and results.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved device for treeing shoes for iinishing operations capable of the advantages, uses and applications herein disclosed, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a side elevation-ot my improved treeing device, a shoebeing shown thereon in broken outline.

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, parts of the device being in section and one of the stretching and smoothing members at the orepart of the device being removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view approximately on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an inner side elevation of one of Serial No. 564,801.

the smoothing and stretching members constituting the torepart of the treeing device.

'Ehe invention shown comprises a treeing leg 1 having a bracket 2 attached to its inner end and provided with a threaded extension 3 adapted to be screwed into a treeing post t in order to support the device which is the subject ci the present invention. T he bracket 2 and the threaded extension thereon constitute means for detachably securing the device to the treeing post 4.

rlhe treeing leg 1 is elongated at its outer end to form' the heel portion 5 of the treeing device.

The orepart of the treeing device conr prises two cooperating members. The member 6 may be considered the outer member and the member 7 may he considered the inner member. The rear ends of the members 6 and 7 are locatedin abutting contact with or adjacent to the front wall of the heel portion 5. A. spring 8 is located in a hole 9 near the forward ends of the members 6 and 7. The ends of said spring are engaged with pins 10 rigid with the members 6 and 7. spring 8 prevents the members 6 and 7 from becoming detached from each other and said spring is e'ective to draw said mem'- bers into side by side relationship, as shown (Fig.

A rod 11 has its rear end embedded in and rigidly secured to the heel portion 5 of the treeing device. A piston 12 is rigid on the forward end of said rod and is enclosed within 'a cylinder 13. The rod 11 extends through a hole in the rear end 14 of the cylinder. The end 11i may be rigidly attached to the cylinder after the cylinder is mounted on the piston 12. From the front end 15 of the cylinder 13 a wedge 16 projects, the side edges of said wedge converging to a point at the front of the wedge (Fie. 3).

Rods 17 and 18 have their rear ends rigid with. the heel portion 5 of the treeing device. These rods 1'? and 18 project forwardly into and through enlarged holes 19 in the rear ends of the members G and 7, and thus support said members 6 and 7 in cooperative relationship with the heel portion 5 and, at the same time, permit the forward ends of VICE.

said members 6 and 7 to be spread apart by forward movement of the wedge 16.

The cylinder 13 is mounted in a recess formed by grooves 20 in the adjacent sides of the members 6 and 7. The cylinder 13 is longitudinally movable along the rod 11 and may be forced toward the front in order to cause the wedge 16 to operate against 'plates 21 attached to the members 6 and 7 and thereby force said members 6 and 7 apart in order to stretch and smooth the shoe mounted on the treeing device. The plates 21 converge toward the front in conformityv with the converging side edges of the wedge 16 (Fig. 3)

so as to cooperate with said wedge and spread apart the said members 6 and 7 when the cylinder 13 and the wedge 16 are forced forwardly.

A flexible pipe or tube 22 has one cnil mounted in a bracket 23 attached to the treeing leg 1 and has its forward end attached to a metallic tube 24 by a fitting 25. The tube 24 extends into a recess 26 in the front of the treeing leg 1 and thence extends downwardly and forwardly and opens through the wall of the cylinder 13 in front of the piston 12. The opening into the cylinder 13 from the tube 24 is between the front wall 15 of the cylinder 13 and the piston 12.

The bracket 23 supports a device 27 for detachable connection with an airline or pipe 28, whereby compressed air may be admitted into the cylinder 13 in order to force said cylinder forwardly and cause the wedge 16 to spread apart t-he cooperating members 6 and 7 and thus stretch and smooth the shoe mounted on the treeing device.

In operation, the compressed air is released from the cylinder 13 through the tubes 24 and 22. The cylinder 13 is forced to its rearward position, as shown (Figs. 2 and 3), thus permitting the members 6 and 7 to ccntact in side by side relationship and to abut against the heel portion 5 of the treeing de- The shoe is then mounted on the trecing device while said device is collapsed or reduced to its smallest dimensions, as described. Then air is forced or compressed air is admitted into the front end of the cylinder 13 at the front of the piston 12, thus forcing the cylinder 13 and the wedge 16 forwardly and causing said wedge to force the members 6 and 7 apart effectively7 to stretch and smooth the shoe, and hold the shoe stretched and smooth during the finishing operations. The spread apart relationship of the members 6 and 7 is shown in dotted outline in Fig. 3 of the drawing. Each of the members 6 and 7 has attached thereto a plate 29, and these plates extend rearwardly into engagement with the side surfaces of the heel portion 5 of the treeing device. Thus, said plates 29 extend across the joints between the rear ends of the members 6 and 7 and the front edge of the heel portion 5.

It is now clear that my invention obtains its intended objects and purposes in a highly efficient and satisfactory manner. The device may be operated rapidly and conveniently and different treeing devices may be interchanged or mounted on the treeing post 4 for work upon different shoes.

The construction and arrangement and relationship of the parts comprising the invention may be varied within the scope of equivalent limits without departure from the scope of the appended claims. I do not restrict myself unessentially, but what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device for treein shoes for inishin operations comprising a eel portion ada ted to be inserted in the heel portion of a oe, two front portions located side by side in front of the heel portion and having opposite grooves in their adjacent sides, a spreader for said front portions supported by said heel portion in said grooves, and pneumatic means for operating said spreader to spread apart said front portions and thereby smooth and stretch a shoe mounted on said treein device.

2. A device for treeing shoes for nishing operations comprisin a rigid heel portion adapted to be inserte in the heel portion of a shoe, two front portions at the front of said heel portion adapted to be extended forwardly into the shoe, a spreader device for said front portions, and pneumatic means for operating said spreader device to spread apart said front portions effectively to stretch and smooth a shoe mounted thereon.

3. A device for treeing shoes for finishing operations comprising a rigid heel portion adapted to be inserted in the heel portion of a shoe, two front portions adapted to extend into the front portion of a shoe in front of said heel portion and having op osite grooves in their adjacent sides, a sprea er su ported by said heel portion and extending tween said two front portions into said grooves, and means for operating said spreader to spread apart said two front portions while the shoe is mounted on said device.

4. A device for treeing shoes for finishing operations comprising a treeing leg, a treeing foot heel portion projecting rigidly from one end of said leg, a pair of treeing foot toe ortions supported in front of said treein eel portion, plates supported by the outside of said toe portions and extending across the joints between said toe portions and said heel portion and across a part of the outside of said heel portion, and mechanism supported by said leg and said heel portion for spreadmg apart said toe portions while a shoe is mounted on said treeing foot.

5. A device ofthe character described comprising a rigid heel portion, a rod rigid with and projecting forwardly from said heel por tion, a pair of treeing foot toe portions supported in front of said heel portion at opposite sides of said rod, a member mounted on said rod for spreading apart said toe portions, and means for admitting compressed air to said member to operate the same.

6. A device for treeing shoes for finishing operations comprising a heel portion adapted to be inserted in the heel portion of a shoe, means for supporting said heel portion, two front portions located in adjacent side by side relationship in front of said heel portion,

plates supported by the outside of said toe portions and extending across the joints between said toe portions and said heel portion and across a part of the outside of said heel portion, a spreader for said front portions extending forwardly from said heel portion between said front portions, and means for operating said spreader to spread apart said front portions and thereby smooth and stretch a shoe mounted on said heel and front portions.

.7. A device for treeing shoes for linishing operations comprising a rigid heel portion adapted to be inserted in the heel portion oi shoe, two iront portions at the front oic said heel portion located in adjacent side by side relationship and adapted to extend forwardly into a shoe into which said rigid heel portion extends as aforesaid, a spreader device located between said iront portions, means for supporting said spreader device by said heel portion, and pneumatic means for operating said spreader device to spread apart said two front portions to stretch and smooth the shoe mounted thereon as aforesaid.

8. A devi-ce for treeine' shoes 'for iinishing operations comprising a rigid heel portion adapted to be inserted in the heel portion of a shoe, two front Aliortions located in adj acent side by side relationship and adapted to ei;- tend into the iront portion of a shoe into which said heel portion extends as aforesaid, a longitudinally movable spreader device supported by said heel portion between said two lront portions, and means for admitting compressed air to said spreader device e`ectively to move the same longitudinally between said two front portions.

9. A device for treeing shoes for finishing operations comprising a rigid heel portion adapted to be inserted in the heel portion of a. shoe, two `iront portions located in adjacent side by side relationship and adapted to eX- tend into the "iront portion of a shoe into which said heel portion extends as aforesaid, a longitudinally movable spreader device supported by said heel portion between said two front portions, means for admitting coinpressed air to said spreader device eectively to move the same longitudinally between said two front portions, and a pair of converging walls in connection with said front portions respectively and engaged by said spreader device whereby said front portions are spread apart when said spreader device 1s moved longitudinally.

10. A device for treeing shoes for finishing nism supported by said leg and said heel portion for spreading apart said toe portions while a shoe is mounted on said heel and toe portions.

11. ln a device for treeing shoes for iinishing operations and including a treeing leg, 'a treeing .foot comprising a heel portion eX- vtending rigidly from one end of said leg, a pair of treeing foot toe portions supported in front of said heel portion, plates supported by the outside of said toe portions and extending across the joints between said toe portions and said heelfportion and across a part of the outside oi said heel portion, and a device supported by said heel portion for spreading apart said toe portions while a shoe is mounted on said treeing foot.

12. ln a device of the character' described, a treeing foot -tor shoes comprising a rigid heel portion, a pair oi toe portions arranged in side by side relationship in front of said heel portion, resilient means actuating said toe portions toward each other, and pneumatic means for spreading said toe portions apart in opposition to said resilient means.

13. A device for treeing shoes for linishing operations comprisng a rigid heel portion, a pair of toe portions in iront I" said heel por-- tion, a spring actuating said toe portions toward each other, means for holding said toe. portions in proper relationship to said heel portion, and pneumatic means supported by said heel portion and located between said toe portions for spreading apart said toe portions while a shoe is mounted on said heel and toe portions.

14. A device of the character described comprising a rigid heel portion, a pair of toe portionssupported in front of said heel portion and cooperating therewith to receive and support a shoe for finishing operations, a spreader mounted between said toe portions, a. spring for actuating said toe portions toward each other, and a tube communicating with said spreader for admitting compressed air thereto to operate said spreader and separate said toe portions.

15. A device of the character described comprising a rigid heel portion, two spreadable toe portions at the front of said heel portion and cooperating therewith to receive and support a. shoe for iinishing operations, a rigid piston supported by said heel portion, a movable cylinder mounted on said piston, a tube opening into said cylinder beyond one end of said piston for admittin air to said cylinder to force said cylinder a ong said piston, and means for spreading apart said toe portions when said cylinder is moved.

16. A device for treeing shoes for finishing operations comprising a rigid heel portion, a pair of rods attached to said heel portion and extending forwardly therefrom, a air of toe portions arranged in side by side re ationship in front of said heel portion and having holes into which said rods extend and which permit spreading apart of the rear ends of said toe ortions in any longitudinal positions of sai toe portions, and pneumatic means for spreading said toe portions apart and moving said toe portions longitudinally.

17. A device for treeing shoes for finishing operations comprising a heel portion, a pair of rods rigid with and projecting forwardly from said heel portion, a pair of toe portions in front of said heel portion having openings receiving said rods and permitting spreading apart o said toe portions, and pneumatic means for spreading apart said toe portions while a shoe is mounted on said heel and toe portions.

JAMES D. KRIVE. 

